


Kaiseki-ryōri

by elleurs



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Inspired by Hannibal, Mystery, Psychological Horror, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:41:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25000012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elleurs/pseuds/elleurs
Summary: “I’d like you to meet your partner for this mission, Sakura Haruno.” Kakashi is forced back to ANBU to find a serial killer in Konoha. Inspired by Hannibal TV series.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	Kaiseki-ryōri

“Sakura.”

Looking up from her textbook, Sakura Haruno smiled at her mentor, Tsunade. It was a warm day in Konoha, the sun’s rays slipping through the cracks in her shishou’s office. The only remnant of spring was the cold wind making itself known when people’s guards were down, and without fail, a hasty hand would dart from warm pockets to pull their jacket’s zipper just a little bit higher.

It was a good thing they were inside the Hokage building and not out there. Cherry blossoms bloomed in spring, but she had always enjoyed summer the best.

She stood from her desk and gave a low bow, closing the textbook surreptitiously and dropping it under her desk. Tsunade hated medical textbooks, mostly because she authored a few herself and she hated being reminded of ‘those times’.

They were torture, she confided to Sakura during one of their late night drinking sessions. Her editor was a lecherous man who happened to be her childhood friend, and she had to endure his awful pick up lines every time she submitted her drafts late.

“Remember this, men are all the same,” Tsunade had said, tapping Sakura’s forehead. Her words slurred and her eyes had trouble focusing on her apprentice. Sakura had to gently pry her mentor’s hands away from the sake cup and away from her face, agreeing with every word until the old woman was satisfied.

“They all want you for your body,” she said, finger making vague swirls on the wooden table. “And if they tell you otherwise, they’re lying through their fuckin’ teeth.” Her eyes misted, and she grabbed the sake bottle faster than Sakura could react, taking a generous gulp.

Sakura thought maybe something had happened between her mentor and her editor, but she didn’t want to pry. There was history there, and sometimes history shouldn’t be revisited. Sometimes history should be left alone, deeply buried in the past, where it belonged.

“That better not be a damn textbook, Sakura,” Tsunade said, striding past her student.

Sakura felt sweat at the nape of her neck and smiled, pushing the textbook under her chair with her left foot. “Of course not, shishou.” Tsunade scoffed, but from the way her shoulders tightened, Sakura knew her mind was elsewhere. Worried, she followed Tsunade to her desk, medical textbook forgotten. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Tsunade sighed deeply as she sank to her chair, gesturing towards the door. She frowned. Usually, she loved leaving the door open when she complained “because misery loves company, and if I’m going to be miserable, then so will all of you”.

This must be serious.

After checking that there were no other employees loitering in the hallway, Sakura closed the door with a soft ‘click’. The dim lights in the office casted shadows over her mentor as she laced her fingers together in contemplation. Even the warmth of the sun couldn’t reach this room and Sakura wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shivering.

“There’s been another murder,” Tsunade said, frowning. Sakura’s eyes widened in shock. Another? So soon? “It’s the second time this month.” She closed her eyes and let out a pained hiss, clenching her fists.

The killings started five years ago. Sakura remembered it well, because the first victim had been Shizune. Lungs, brain, liver – those had been missing from her senpai when they finally found her on an empty hospital room. The smell of blood was familiar, but the visceral way her chest was left open made Sakura’s stomach stutter, and she found herself running away, the image branded in her memory.

Her funeral was the first time she saw Tsunade cry sober. The rain poured down hard, as if the heavens themselves wept at Shizune’s death. She could still smell the damp earth and the fresh white chrysanthemums – she held onto hers so tightly that the stems left green stains on her cold palms. Naruto held the umbrella above them both, one arm securely wrapped around her shoulders, his lips pressed on her forehead.

Afterwards, she had sought out his comfort like moth to a flame, hands reaching for him, past his rain-soaked suit and black tie, past the white polo until she could feel his heartbeat under her fingers. His lips were gentle and soothing and tentative before pulling her away.

“You need to grieve,” he whispered, ragged against her ear. “This – I’d hate for you to regret it.” She opened her mouth to disagree, but the way his blue eyes stared at her with something akin to pity caused her to shrink away.

She was burned by his words and she fled his apartment, pink hair trailing behind her like faint embers.

And the next morning, he had sat next to her at Ichiraku as if the night before never happened, and it’s been a fragile friendship ever since.

“I’ve called Kakashi Hatake –”

Tsunade’s words jolted her to the present and Sakura furrowed her brows. The name rang a bell before her mind supplied her with information, mostly second-hand gossip from Ino and Ten-Ten.

Her frown deepened. “Isn’t he retired, shishou?” Tsunade grabbed the hidden stash of sake underneath her desk and poured herself a drink. Sakura held her tongue and gave her mentor some reprieve – if Sakura wasn’t currently working, she’d probably take a cup, too. “And isn’t he in Suna?”

Tsunade took a sip and sighed, cradling her drink. “Was. I’ve been corresponding with him, and he’s finally agreed to come back after all these years.”

Kakashi Hatake was a living legend in Konoha. Blessed with good looks, natural talent and an amicable personality outside of missions, he rose through the ANBU ranks in a few short years, something only few people had ever done.

But that was before the burnout.

Sakura wasn’t sure about the details, but something had happened – something horrible. Kakashi had left ANBU, and Tsunade never stopped him.

As if on cue, someone knocked. Sakura looked to her mentor for approval before unlocking the door. A tall man with a shock of white hair entered, hands in pockets. His easy smile never reached his eyes even when they crinkled. Sakura inadvertently gave way.

His presence filled the room, the sharp smell of his cologne almost cloying. Despite the almost relaxed posture, she knew the tell-tale tautness in his jaw, the sharpness in his eyes once he dropped the cordial smile.

Speak of the devil.

“Kakashi Hatake,” Tsunade said, cracking a smile. “Welcome back.” She raised a cup in a mocking toast.

**Author's Note:**

> That's the prologue done! This idea has been bugging me for a while. I'm still not sure where this will go, but writing this is infinitely better than studying for my exams haha! I have a skeleton of an idea in my mind, we'll see how it goes.
> 
> This will be set in an AU where they are no such thing as shinobi (and where FBI = ANBU).
> 
> Also, I'm shamelessly plugging my GaaSaku slowburn, Monsters Old and New (aka MOAN). If GaaSaku even remotely interests you, I hope you can give it a read (and a comment or two, haha)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading! Please let me know what you think and if I should continue! It's my first time trying to write KakaSaku so pls be kind haha.


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